“I just felt that there was a need for a preschool with good academics that was also developmentally appropriate,” Pangalangan said.
In 2005, she and the nonprofit organization formed to support the school opened a kindergarten, which expanded to teach kids through eighth grade the next year.
Today, 300 students attend the school. Classes are small. Teachers use smart boards and other creative tools and individualized approaches. Tuition is about $6,000.
“It’s my own philosophy,” Pangalangan said. “All children learn in different ways and should be taught in different ways.”
Impact Point would provide year-round space for a range of activities from sports and recreation to arts and drama.
"This will kind of complete the school," said Jim Cismesia, who has two children in the school.
Part of the funding is in hand, but the group hopes to raise another $500,000 in donations and creative financing alternatives. For example, they hope to pay for a climbing wall with a grant. After school, the facilities would be opened up to the community for programs and community service projects.
Hannah Smith, 11, of Washington Twp., looks forward to a time when aspiring actors at the school no longer need to travel to a local church to prepare for theatrical productions.
"It's going to be really cool when it's done," she said.
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